A triple-A game as big and demanding as Cyberpunk 2077 was not something you would’ve expected to see on a Nintendo Switch. But with the launch of Switch 2 in June 2025, the thought has become an astonishingly good reality.
Released in December of 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 had one of the most disappointing video game launches ever. However, that changed over time with CD Projekt Red consistently launching patches to improve its performance on all platforms, making it one of the best triple-A RPGs.
Here’s what makes getting Cyberpunk 2077 so fun and why you should get it on your Nintendo Switch 2 right now!
Cyberpunk 2077 experience on the Nintendo Switch 2
Fun and new changes to play Cyberpunk 2077
To start off, we must talk about the very impressive new addition to the game, gyro aiming. While it’s not the most impressive addition in a video game for 2025, it is a highly welcome one.
CD Projekt Red has left no room for complaint while making the changes in Cyberpunk 2077 for Nintendo Switch 2. The gyro setting is very flexible with how players can use it. From custom sensitivity to whether it works only during downsight aiming or is active all the time.
There’s also the mouse setting. While the mouse setting feels a bit slow at times, it’s great to have the option exist than not have it at all. Another new addition is the gesture and motion control. You can use gestures not just for aiming but also for healing, reloading, and more.
But this fun way to play Cyberpunk 2077, is locked behind a tutorial so that you don’t heal every time you shake your hands or move your body. It’s only available when using two Joy-Cons without grips.
How well does the Nintendo Switch 2 handle it?
In terms of graphics, there are two options. Quality, which offers 30 frames per second, and performance, which runs the game at 40 frames per second.
While options are available in handheld mode, the performance mode only works if you’re docked on a 120Hz screen; otherwise, 40 frames per second on a 60Hz screen isn’t very pleasing to the eye.
For us, the game ran smoothly almost all the time except when entering an entirely new area. And sometimes the textures took a bit longer to load.
But these issues were nothing that cannot be fixed with a few patches in the future. In quality mode with motion blur turned off, the game looked a lot better and was much more visually appealing.
The game truly shines in handheld mode by looking as good as it does without any major issues whatsoever. Overall, Nintendo Switch 2 handles games as demanding and vast as Cyberpunk 2077 very impressively for a handheld device.
Experiencing Cyberpunk 2077 on Nintendo Switch 2
There’s a difference in how the game performs on the Nintendo Switch 2 across the two different modes. And for someone who’s experienced Cyberpunk 2077 on PC, this difference is noticeable.
You can improve the performance of the game in quality mode by lowering NPC density, which makes it run better. Performance mode, on the other hand, is awful in handheld mode with constant annoying frame drops. And I’d rather have a stable 30 fps than an unstable 40 fps.
Surprisingly, Nintendo Switch 2 doesn’t have any issues with heating either while running heavy titles. And even after playing the game for 2 hours the heating of the device was barely noticable.
The DLC or Dogtown area, is where the game becomes weird. In quality handheld mode with unstable frame rates, the DLC area definitely seems a bit unoptimized. While it is playable in terms of performance but the framerate drops were very annoying.
The performance mode makes the dogtown situation a bit better, and docked quality mode makes it good enough to match the rest of the game. Even though it’s still not a stable 30 fps, it’s better than the constant major frame drops in handheld mode.
Overall, it’s safe to say that Nintendo has done an amazing job in making their latest piece of tech. Making playing heavy titles like Cyberpunk 2077 on a handheld device a delightful experience.
Why play Cyberpunk 2077 on Nintendo Switch 2?
Most systems have a hard time with games like Cyberpunk 2077. This performance-intensive RPG is very demanding for the system’s hardware, but Nintendo has successfully proved that a handheld device is not to be taken as a joke.
While other handheld devices and some consoles have trouble running the game. The successor to the Nintendo Switch does it effortlessly. Nintendo Switch 2 makes playing Cyberpunk 2077 on this piece of tech a delightful experience.
Nintendo Switch 2 also gives you the option to further improve your experience in docked mode. Using a 120Hz screen, the game looks even better and runs smoother. At full charge, it can run heavy titles like Cyberpunk 2077 for around 2 – 2.5 hours, which is a lot for a handheld device.
If compared to other portable consoles in the market, all others will fall short when comparing performance with the Nintendo Switch 2.
Getting Cyberpunk 2077 on the Nintendo Switch 2 is an investment that players can never regret. Playing a game like this on a Nintendo feels almost unreal. CD Projekt Red did an amazing job porting it to Nintendo’s latest handheld.
